Minimum wage just went up in 5 provinces — Here's how Quebec compares

Fall brings more than just cooler weather to Canada. The start of the season also coincides with pay raises for thousands of Canadian workers.

As of October 1, 2025, five provinces officially bumped up their minimum wages, marking the latest in a series of hikes meant to keep up with rising costs of living.

Quebec, however, isn't part of this week's wave. The province already raised its minimum wage back in May, and while that gave over 200,000 workers a small lift, the new changes elsewhere now shift how la belle province stacks up.

What changed this week

On October 1, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Ontario all introduced fresh increases. Saskatchewan moved from $15.00 to $15.35 per hour. Manitoba is now at $16.00, while P.E.I. and Nova Scotia both sit at $16.50 after sizeable jumps. Ontario workers saw one of the biggest boosts, climbing to $17.60 per hour.

These amounts may sound like small steps, but even a 30-cent raise adds up to over $600 a year for someone working full-time. In Nova Scotia's case, the 80-cent jump could mean an extra $1,600 annually before taxes.

Where Quebec stands

Quebec's rate rose from $15.75 to $16.10 on May 1, 2025. That's a 35-cent bump. It's smaller than what many provinces have seen this fall, but still enough to surpass provinces like Manitoba and P.E.I. at the time. Tipped workers here also saw their base pay rise to $12.90 per hour.

Now, with Ontario and Nova Scotia pulling further ahead and Manitoba and P.E.I. catching up, Quebec finds itself closer to the middle of the pack. The $16.10 rate is higher than what’s offered in Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, but lower than the levels in Ontario, British Columbia, Yukon and Nunavut.

In real terms, minimum wage in Quebec works out to roughly $31,395 a year for a 37.5-hour workweek, which is still well below the provincial average salary of more than $64,000. Since 2019, Quebec's minimum wage has risen by just over 34%, compared with inflation increases of about 25% over the same period.

How each province's minimum wage stacks up

Across Canada, Nunavut continues to lead the way with $19.75 per hour, followed by Yukon at $17.94 and B.C. at $17.85. At the other end, Alberta has held its $15 minimum wage steady since 2018, leaving it as the lowest in the country.

• Nunavut — $19.75/hr
  
• Yukon — $17.94/hr
• British Columbia — $17.85/hr
• Ontario — $17.60/hr
• Northwest Territories — $16.95/hr
• Prince Edward Island — $16.50/hr
• Nova Scotia — $16.50/hr
• Quebec — $16.10/hr
• Newfoundland & Labrador — $16.00/hr
• Manitoba — $16.00/hr
• New Brunswick — $15.65/hr
• Saskatchewan — $15.35/hr
• Alberta — $15.00/hr

Love this? Check out our MTL Blog noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!

AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.